Captured by the Qulisas
by I'm Known By Many Names
Summary: The Clans are raided by something they know not of; a large group of cats called "The Qulisas" and Ivypaw is taken! Will she find her way back to her family? ...and to Bumblestripe?
1. Nightmares

Captured by the Qulisas

The Clans are raided by something they know not of; a large group of cats called "The Qulisas" and Ivypaw is taken! Will she find her way back to her family? To her home?

"_Attack!" A piercing battle cried filled the sleeping air. In an instant cats as fast as lightning burst into the apprentice's den. Teeth met Ivypaw's scruff and she was dragged out of her home. Dovepaw's cries of protest stung her ears and the whole Clan clawed at her captor—_

Ivypaw sat bolt upright, waking the cat next to her. _My captor._ She thought. Apparently, she was now their property. The dream had haunted her.

Claws met her cheek. "Sleep!" Came a gruff tone. He never spoke much.

As fast as she fell asleep she felt a rope made of what smelled like grape vines around her neck, tightening and nearly cutting off her breath. Grapes. Would she ever go to Jayfeather's den with a stomach ache and receive grape leaves again? Her heart ached for home.

"Walk" The tone came again. The rope was tight; it made her breath raspy. For six sunrises they had been walking; she was given a mouse every day, nothing more. Looming ahead was what looked like a Twoleg camp, from what she heard from the elders. The grass was as tall as Squirrelflight's tail. She felt a pang of homesickness as she remembered the sharp tongued warrior. Would Ivypaw ever become a warrior?

Suddenly, she smelled faintly many scents and many cats. _This must be the entrance, _she thought_. _The grass had been scrapped away and swept. Petals lined the ground, giving off an aroma that masked anything. She smiled inside that she could tell the scent away from the petals.

The shaded tunnel burst into the camp. There were cat's everywhere, more than even all the Clans combined. The dens where many trees stacked in lines. Tall vines enclosed and wrapped their greedy tendrils around holes. Brambles and leaves were stuffed into the gaps as well. There were ten dens surrounding a fresh kill pile, making her stomach ache from hunger. And for home.

A pretty she-cat emerged from the small den directly in front of her. Rage clouded her eyes and she rushed forward.

Ivypaw bared her teeth and unsheathed her claws, ready to fight. But Ivypaw knew she could not fight the cat. These cats where more muscular than any she's ever seen. She closed her eyes, praying she could find StarClan from here.

Teeth did not meet her throat, but grazed her neck fur. She she-cat and gently pulled the rope away from her neck. She turned to the cat that had held Ivypaw hostage.

"You've shown poor judgment for a cat of your seasons! Go, I will decide your punishment later!" She scolded. The tom, which Ivypaw now saw had all white fur, held his head. He walked into one of the dens.

"Now, I apologize for my Crusader. He normally shows better judgment. Come, follow me. My name is Moon, if you'd like to know. Herb, please come. Bring a rabbit," She looked down at Ivypaw with genuine gentleness. Ivypaw liked this cat. Maybe the rabbit was for her…?

She walked into the strange den, and saw four nests that lined the wall made off a green type of moss that looked as soft as a rabbit's ear and was in the shape of a leave that lined a nest of twigs woven together. In the center of the den were five mats of the same things the nests were lined with.

"Sit," Moon said kindly, gesturing to one of the mats. Ivypaw sat down, nearly gasping at how soft the leaves were. She stared hungrily at the rabbit. Herb, a cat with green stained fur, jumped onto a ledge that was half way to the roof of the strange place.

"I know you are scared. But life with the Qulisas is not bad; we've had Clan cats stay with us. We've helped you before—"

"How?"

"We found a young cat, Smokepaw, at the bottom of a ledge. We took him here; nursed him to health. Smoke, err, Smokepaw, died three snows later. He lived much longer than Herb had expected.

"Your Clan killed a cat of ours. So, we take one of their cats. It is a simple tradition. But we shall treat you like our own; we bare the burdens of war, but we are not savages. I'll show you your nest. Shine prepared it as soon as she had heard. It was her daughter than was killed. You will be her new daughter, to replace the one the white cat with black paw killed."

_Blackstar! _He had done this to her!

"Come," Moon led out to the sunlight with Ivypaw following. She walked up trees stacked to a Twoleg den.

There were clusters of nests, but Ivypaw only saw one cat, who was arranging the same soft green leaves in perfect order.

"Shine," Called Mood. Ivypaw saw where the cat got her name. Her fur shined like water and matched Ivypaw's. She bounded over.

"You must be hungry! Oh, you look cold! They should have waited until Long Sun came. Here, I have a nest ready—no, I'll get a big, plump rabbit. No, I'll introduce you to Water—no, I'll let you rest—"

"Shine," Moon chuckled, "Herb is dressing a rabbit. Ivypaw should come eat it."

"Yes, of course! Come, come." The three walked back to where Moon first brought Ivypaw. They jumped up to the platform, about two fox lengths up. Ivypaw followed with hesitation.

Her paws hit the edge of the platform, but she couldn't hoist herself up. Shine ran forward and grabbed her scruff, trembling as she used all her strength to pull Ivypaw up.

After the ordeal Ivypaw saw herbs, leaves, flowers, seeds, everything she could imagine stacked against the walls. She saw a rabbit in the middle of the floor.

The rabbit had flecks of herbs scattered in it. "What are those?" She asked.

"Those are herbs to make you stronger," answered Herb. "Eat." They all encouraged.

Not needing a second opinion she rushed forward, devouring the rabbit in moments.

"Come. You need rest," said Shine.

They made their way slowly to the den Ivypaw's nest was. She lied down and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.


	2. Home

**I feel loved :D**

Ivypaw awoke, felling a paw jab her side. "Work," said a gruff tone.

That was the cat that held her captive! Fury burned her ears for that cat that had starved her, clawed her, made her suffer as they had come. With relief she saw Shine and Moon near her. They wouldn't make her work after such a long trip, right?

"You must work as well, that's how the Qulisas work" Moon repeated. Shine looked like she wanted to argue, but it seemed as if Moon was the leader here. "All cats must hunt to eat; as soon as they are above two moons, they hunt. Queens hunt. The ill hunt. Elders hunt. We all hunt. It is our way."

The silver apprentice stared at Moon in shock. The ill? The queens? The elders? What? How can they live like that!

Ivypaw continued to trudg over a worn trail with several other she-cats, including Shine. Moon had gone into her den with Herb and one other cat.

"You are to be a Hunter in the Qulisa Tribe. Today we hunt. You must hunt if you want to eat," said Shine. "I wish you didn't need to work the day after such a harsh trip."

"Even the queens?"

"Even the queens."

They came to creek that flowed to the direction she and her captor came from. With a jolt, she remembered that they had gone in the same direction. Over the trail that Dovepaw and Lionblaze had taken to free the water...they always followed _this _creek. And the current flowed to the Clans…she could go home! Home. The word made her tail droop.

"Split up," Called what seemed like the leader of the patrol. "We need a large pile!"

As soon as Ivypaw was far enough away, she began looking for a mice patch of moss. She would never feed this tribe; the tribe that had taken her from her home. Never. She would never call Shine her mother. Never call Moon her leader. Never go to Herb for grape leaves or advice. Never. Homesickness clawed her heart. Hunger clawed her belly.

Finding a cluster of green, she sat down and washed her fur. It was tangled and matted with dry blood from thorn scratches. She closed her eyes, just to rest a moment…

* * *

Line line line

* * *

"You moss-brain!" A claw met Ivypaw's ear, ripping it in two. She yowled in pain, instinctively jumping up to face her attacker. She found not a she-cat she came with, but a tom twice her size. He glared down, and picked her mercilessly by the scruff. He dragged her like prey back to the camp.  
What would they do to her? To the cat that didn't work?

"Found her!" Spat the cat that carried her. **My inner Dr. Sues**

"What do you have to say?" said Moon. She was, for the first time, angry at _Ivypaw. _

"Ivy! You—"

"My name is Ivy_paw! _

"Not anymore. It is not a Qulisa name. You will have a name genuine to our tribe. Your name is _Ivy!_" The cat that seemed so kind spat at her. What had changed? Shine looked at her with hate. Everyone looked at her with hate here…no one tried to help her still gushing ear. Ivypaw looked at Herb with pain in her eyes. The cat looked away.

"You broke our sacred rule. You must work. Since you're over you second moon you must work. You are old enough to know!" hissed the cat that sat next to Moon. **I am on fi-ya!**

"Go, hunt. You must double this pile before you may sleep; before you may eat," ridiculed Moon. Ivy_paw _stared in shock. She yowled in fury and ran into the forest. No one tried to stop her.

These cats were not the kind ones they made themselves out to be. They were cruel, cruel cats. You must work to eat? Even the apprentices? What kind of place is that! She ran to the creek. The gentle, flowing creek.

Suddenly, a plan hatched in her mind. She remembered something Dovepaw tought her; to float in the river, and ride the current. It had been a game that they played in the warm moons with Birtchfall keeping a watchful eye; maybe it would get her home? Yes. That would be perfect. They couldn't find her scent…

She'd go when the weather got warm…it took her 7 suns to get here. In 7 days she could be home!

**I want to say something about my paragraphs. I know they seem short, but on Word they are a lot longer. Try copy and pasting it to a word document; they're a lot longer then. Or try typing a paragraph from the books into fanfiction. A lot shorter, huh? Keep that in mind when reading any story. **

**Next chapter will have MAJOR twist. Yes, I am adding them already. Sue me ;)**

**Sorry! This is mega short :P **


	3. Bumblestripe

**_I am the Leader of FanClan. I acknowledge my Clan a and thank them for the help they give and will help them in return._**

Ivypaw padded toward Herb.

For the past three days that she'd been with the Qulisas, she always tried to work with Herb. It was a task she enjoyed, and Herb taught her valuable things that would help when she ran away.

"Time to go!" The she-cat meowed.

Cobwebs still wrapped around her ear, a reminder of the cruelties of this Tribe. Herb had dressed it when Ivypaw had gotten back from hunting. Shine had ignored her, along with the rest of the tribe.

"How does the Tribe work?" Ivypaw asked suddenly, when they were three tree lengths from camp.

Slightly confused, Herb said, "Well…we have Crusaders. They fight and protect the Tribe. We have mothers; she-cats with kittens. We have Hunters; that's what you are. They hunt for our Tribe. Then there are tyros; wither a hunting tyro or a crusader tyro; like apprentices. We have elders, the oldest of the Tribe, we have a chief, a delegate, and an herb cat-me."

"How do you know so much about the Clans?" Ivypaw asked.

"I was a Clan cat, but right before I was made an apprentice, I was stolen," Herb meowed sadly.

"That's…terrible"

Suddenly, yowls of triumph filled the air.

"The Crusaders are back!"

* * *

Line line line

* * *

As fast as they ran, Ivypaw and Herb arrived after the Crusaders did, missing most of the celebration. In the middle of the clearing, Ivypaw recognized a familiar shape.

"Bumblestripe!"

The she-cat ran forward, desperate to stop her friend's bleeding wounds. She licked fiercely as cats melted around her, not trying to help, when Herb rushed up, a large birch wrap dangling from her mouth. Ripping it open, she tipped everything out.

"Chew up these leaves; spread them on all of his wounds. Then go to my den and find a large, round fruit. You have to carry it gently between your jaw and your neck, and don't squish it. Come carefully; it can wait for a little bit. It's called mouse fruit, should it come up," Herb meowed. Instantly a desperate Ivypaw obeyed, gagging at the rancid taste.

"Good, now run!" The herb cat meowed when Ivypaw finished. The black she-cat spread cobwebs over the pulp, already stained scarlet with blood.

_Bumblestripe…_Ivypaw though helplessly. Her friend's life was ebbing away, and all she could do was watch.

_No, I can _work, she thought, running off to the den.

"Where do you think you're going?" hissed the cat that had held her captive. She had found out Fang was his name.

"Herb asked me to get mouse fruit. Now, _get out of my way!" _Ivypaw spat, lunging after Fang.

He grabbed her tail, his crowfood smelling breath on her face.

"You'll have to fight me, if you want to help _that," _he pointed his tail to Bumblestripe.

"Then I'll fight!" Ivypaw yowled, lunging at the top. She flexed her claws, ripping both his ears in half. Fang, furious, ripped fur from her neck. The silver cat kicked with strong hind legs, sending him flying. He jumped up instantaneously

_I don't have time for this! _Ivypaw though, irritably. She rushed into the den, leaping without hesitation onto the platform.

_Mouse fruit…mouse fruit…_Ivypaw searched franticly. Finally in the corner of the den there were several furry berries, larger than her paw, and she tucked one under her jaw. It itched her bare neck, but she paid no heed. Rushing out, she ran back over to Herb.

"Good. Now, go get the long, pointed stick that was next to it," She meowed.

Ivypaw came back, and on Herbs order she held the mouse fruit between her paws. Stretching her claws, and using the sharp stick in her jaw, Herb sliced the fruit, and Ivypaw nearly gasped at the deep green. The herb cat pulled pawfull after pawfull of the green pulp, spreading it in Bumblestripe's lips. He licked it off, and she applied more, until they were left with the skin of a mouse fruit, nearly all intact.

"It's good for nests," Herb explained, "When I use mouse fruit, I am carful to save the skins. We dry it, and add it to our nests for warmth and protection of water. I will show you how, later. Now we must get this cat to my den."

* * *

"Like this," Herb explained. They sat in a sliver of sunlight that streamed into the den from a crack in the wall. Several mouse fruit skins were drying in front of them. Herb stretched her claws, slicing sideways on the brown fur until it was almost see through. She licked the final juices up, cleaning the small pelt.

"I'd say you try, but these are so precious to our survival," she meowed. Ivypaw understood.

"Herb, can I tell you something?" Ivypaw meowed. No one was in the den, or in the camp for that matter. They were all at an event in the woods called the Gauntlet.

"Yes?"

"I'm…I'm going to run away. As soon as Bumblestripe is better, we'll both go, and I need your help. I need to know what herb—"

"I won't tell anyone, on _one _condition."

Ivypaw's heart raced. "What?" She forced her voice to be calm.

Herbs eyes held her gaze steady, unblinking. "Take me with you."

"You…you want to come?" Ivypaw meowed, puzzled.

"I want to go home. I want to see my parents," Her gaze never broke, nor did her voice.

"I can't say no; it is your right as much as mine. We deserve to be happy, not cooped up here. They don't trust us; why do you think I was a Hunter, not a Crusader? I'm a better fighter," she meowed.

"Alright. It's settled. But we should wait until Bumblestripe is full health, and until it become warmer. Another two seasons; it is too late in Short Sun to go," she meowed.

"Ok," agreed the silver apprentice. Her heart leapt. They where _doing _something to go home.

They _were _going home!

**Longer, what do you think?**

**Next chapter will skip **_**wayyyyyy **_**ahead. Like, two seasons. Do you really care about the Tribe life? I don't want to write it! Hey, they skipped A. Lot. In Bluestar's Prophecy!**

**The soft mosses they use are the leaves of Lamb's Ears. **

**They live in an old camp, yes :) **

**The dens they sleep in are cabins; herb keeps her medicine supplies on the top of a bunk bed, with twigs and bracken laced in holes.**

**Short sun is summer. Less sunlight=short sun xD**

**Guess what mouse fruit is**


	4. Plan

_**I am the Leader of FanClan. I acknowledge my Clan a and thank them for the help they give and will help them in return.**_

"Good job, Blood!" Ivypaw called to her kit, after she perfectly performed a hunting move. For two seasons, Ivypaw had had waited until the weather was warm. In the mist, she and Bumblestripe's had kits; three, small, perfect kits. But, every time Ivypaw called to one of her children, she was enraged. She was intended no help at birth; nor was she excused from hunting duties. When her kittens were born, she was far into the forest. Herb had expected this, it seemed; she told Ivypaw what to do, and silently followed without Moon knowing. When the kits had been born, their mother had followed Herb's orders; she went to the farthest corner of the territory that only Herb went to, were plenty of dandelions grew.

"Dandelions do many things," Herb had said, "The petals are soft for the kits, the stem is good for milk, and bulb makes the kits stronger."

The grass surrounding was tall enough to mask a small tree den among roots; Ivypaw had trouble squeezing into the small gap. When inside, it was small; cozy, the only light coming from a crack in the roof. Bumblestripe and Herb put bracken, mouse fruit pelts, moss and feathers down for a soft birth. When Moon heard that Ivypaw gave birth, she simply licked a paw. "I'll name them later," she had said. She gave the kits cruel names; Blood, Death, and Scar. Herb told Ivypaw that prisoner cats cannot name their kits long before she'd even given birth, but the neither of the she-cats expected such horrible names.

When her kits were two moons old, she took them into the forest with Herb. She had told Shine, who was taking care of them instead of her, that she wanted them to help the healing cat.

"Prisoners can't mother their kits," Herb meowed.

Bumblestripe came as well, and they slipped into the den where Ivypaw had given birth.

"Do you know who these cats are?" Herb asked the small kits.

"Your Bumble…and Ivy…and Herb," Blood, the most mature of the liter, meowed. Bumblestripe purred at his daughter.

"Yes, but Ivy and I have different names. We are Bumblestripe and Ivypaw. We were from the Clans; Clan, actually. We had formed one; LakeClan. Ivypaw and I are your parents," Bumblestripe meowed solemnly.

"But…Shine and Water are our parents!" cried Scar.

"They lied. Bumblestripe and I are prisoners, and I wasn't allowed to take care of you, nor was I allowed to even name you. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. But I never regret having you; you're going to be strong assets to the Qulisas," Ivypaw chocked. _To LakeClan, soon enough, my kits, s_he thought.

"But…" Death began.

"Look at your pelt, Death. Look at Bumblestripe's," Herb meowed. Bumblestripe slipped into a beam of light, coming from the crack in the ceiling. Death was a near exact replica of his father, right down to the whisker, but a shade lighter eyes.

"And yours, Blood," Herb meowed, gesturing to Ivypaw. Blood's white pelt had large splotches of grey, with piercing blue eyes like her mother.

"Who do I look like?" meowed Scar. Ivypaw's heart swelled with homesickness and grief.

It was Bumblestripe who answered. "You look like Ivypaw's mother; Whitewing. But she didn't have a grey circle," he said, touching his daughter's side with his tail tip. Scar had an all white pelt, but on her left flank, she had a single dot of grey, as big as a paw, the shade of Dovepaw's pelt.

"When will I see her?" the little kit asked.

The question hung in the air like mist. Finally, Ivypaw meowed, "Not before me, hopefully."

The kits back in camp, Herb, Bumblestripe and Ivypaw returned to the den. Herb started the discussion.

"Sweet came to me today. I-I told her we were going… She said she wishes to come; she'll stay in camp the first day, leading them off our trail, and then come for us to next day. She won't be caught, nor will we, for that matter. May she? Please, she's a good fighter, she'll help!" Herb pleaded.

"Of course," the other two cats responded at once. None of them had fighting training, at least for this territory.

"We all know the plan, right? Ivypaw, you say you're taking Blood out hunting. I'll take the other two kits with me for collecting herbs. We'll meet in this den, cover ourselves in mud to mask our sent, and then set off far away from camp. Sweet is going to lead Moon off our trail. She'll come the next day. I know a good place, far ahead, we could make camp. It will take a while to get there, but I know we can. As for the kits," Herb reached toward the back, where three birds' nests where. Long ivy tendrils where wrapped around it and the next had been stuffed with a soft, creamy dust, mixed with moss, that hardened. Ivypaw remembered when they had made them. They found the birds' nests; they needed large ones. They mixed the dust with moss, packing it in firmly, covering it with mouse fruit pelts. The day before the cats were set to leave, they'd have to put new dirt on, and cover it with moss, bracken and feathers to make them soft for the kits.

The nests would be wrapped around the cats belly and neck securely, then the kits would be placed in them. They then wouldn't have to carry the small cats, and it would be safer.

"They'll stay in these. They won't fall out," Herb reassured the parents, "the nest walls are too high."

"When are we leaving?" Ivypaw asked. Herb gazed at the two cats, unblinking.

"Tomorrow morning."

**BTW Guys she's been there a loooooong time, and she was about to be made a warrior, so she's perfectly old enough for kits.**

**So it's clear this Tribe is geniuses, right? **

**The "Dirt" they stuffed the bird's nests with was clay, by the way. Hmmm…still not telling you what mouse fruit is xD**


	5. Update

No more updates for a bit. Unfortunately I've been affected by the recent tornados, and family problems.  
xoxo  
Maddi


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